The first Fannie May retail store was opened by H. Teller Archibald in 1920 at 11 N. LaSalle St. in Chicago. By 1935, there were nearly four dozen retail stores in Illinois and several neighboring states. During World War II, while other companies chose to change their recipes when ingredients were scarce, Fannie May stuck with its exact recipes, making only what it could which often meant closing shops early because no more candy was available - never was the taste of the candy compromised. By 1934 , Fannie May had opened 48 stores in Illinois and its surrounding states.

In 1946, just after World War II, Fannie May created its most well-known candy to date, the Pixie, by hand-pouring caramel over nuts and then placing them on a conveyor belt to be drenched in chocolate.Today, that combination of caramel and crunchy pecans covered in chocolate is one of the company's best sellers. In the 1970s and 1980s Fannie May continued to develop new candy flavors with the introduction of the Trinidad in 1970 and the creation of Eggnog Creams in 1989. In 1991 Fannie May delved into the world of sugar free candy and now offers a number of assortments. This was followed by the introduction of our elegant truffle line in 1992.

In 2009 the Chocolate Covered Strawberry initiative was launched. Since its inception we have sold close to 2 million strawberries in a variety of flavors. Fannie Mays chocolate covered strawberries are made with 100% Real Chocolate. In 2011 Fannie May began developing the FM|Artisan line of fine handcrafted chocolates. The FM|Artisan line is created in small batches with the finest chocolates and ingredients from around the globe.

After the purchase of Fannie May by Alpine Confections, production of our chocolates moved to North Canton, Ohio based Harry London Candies in October of 2004.In May of 2006 Fannie May joined the 1-800-Flowers.com family of brands. For more than 30 years, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Inc. – "Your Florist of Choice®" – has been providing customers around the world with the freshest flowers and finest selection of plants, gift baskets, gourmet foods, confections and plush stuffed animals perfect for every occasion. Our family of Brands include companies like Cheryls Cookie Co., The Popcorn Factory, The Wine Tasting Network, 1800Baskets, and many more.

Today Fannie May has over 100 retail locations in 6 states and Canada. Throughout the years Fannie May has developed candies that often become the center of many family and holiday traditions. Beginning with only a handful of confections today Fannie May makes over 100 different confections and continues to develop new and innovative flavor profiles for our customers. Quality has always been the driving force behind the making of Fannie May chocolates. Fannie May's standards of excellence include maintaining our product's high quality by requiring special handling during storage and display. Our growing popularity as a premium quality product is due to our innovative approaches in manufacturing, advertising and packaging. Fannie May stands by all its products and for over 90 years has provided high quality gourmet chocolates with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.